Mates: Dragon's Heart
by Kieran-Prince
Summary: Takes place in the Mates universe. Blue and his brothers are about to get the shock of their life in the form of a black dragon.
1. Chapter 1

It was winter time in the mountains and this was by far the calmest winter in years. The mountain region in the Duel Monster realm tended to be harsh due to the various spells, traps, and monsters that continuously pass through. And because the mountain region was right in the middle of the realm and seperated nearly every region from the other, monsters, spell, and traps had no choice but to go through the mountains. This past year was by far the worst due to the scare with Dartz and the Grand Dragon Leviathan. Blizzards blew fast and hard, nearly eroding the mountains straight into the ground. The temperature dropped to the negatives, sometimes even freezing the flames that several of the monsters had no choice but to leave burning. Several of the monsters that took residence in the mountains ran before the weather had gotten any worse.

Of course, the dragons stayed since the mountains were their only home. They had nowhere else to go. That, and the dragons tended to be feared by the other Duel Monsters because of the strength and durability. And so, nearly every region had a monster that specialized in slaying dragons, much to the hatred of the dragons. But after the near apocalypse, the mountains gained back their residents slowly but surely.

One particular dragon watched as his brothers were flying and practicing their attacks. "HEY BLUE! Are you coming out here to train or are you just going to watch us all day?"

Blue, most commonly known as the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, stared at his older brother. His older brothers were also Blue-Eyes White Dragons and so, as to not confuse anybody, the three brothers went by names that all meant 'Blue' but in different languages.

Blue's older brother, known as Aoi, was the more gentle of the three brothers. He preferred to talk through a situation rather than fight about it. And because of this, Aoi was often mocked and called a pacifist among the other dragons. But even with this fact, he was very protective of his younger brothers and could be quite fierce if the situation called for it.

On the other side, his younger brother Azul was hot-tempered and quick to fight. He could easily overpower both of his brothers in a fight at his full power. But at times, he could be docile and sweet, although very rare. And because of his harsh personality, he had much more scars then either of his brothers.

Blue was the middle brother and a bit of a mix between his younger and older brother. He was sweet and gentle yet could be stoic and serious when the time comes. Blue easily got along with the other monsters in the mountains, even the ones that feared the dragons. Because of this, the relationship between Blue and Azul was very tense due to his younger brother's jealousy. But at the end of the day, all three brothers got along fine.

"Blue? BLUE!" Blue looked at his older brother and blushed. "Sorry Aoi. I wasn't really listening. What were you saying?"

Aoi rolled his eyes but smiled at his younger brother. "I asked if you wanted to join us with training," Aoi said.

Blue was about to answer when a strong gust blew by them. The brothers stilled and stared in the direction where the gust came from. Blue flew up and gazed in the distance before his eyes widened. "Aoi. Azul. Y-you guys might want to c-come up here," Blue stuttered out nervously. The two brothers flew up to where their brother was and watched as a black figure comes closer to where the brothers are. Aoi gasped as the figure finally became clear.

Blue watched intently as the figure, who turned out to be a dragon, flew up to them before stopping. The dragon was completely black with red undertones shining on his scales. He was much slimmer than the three brothers and seemed to be a little bit weaker too. However, there was an atmosphere around him that showed that he was much older then any of the brothers. The dragon's eyes were trained on Aoi. The tension in the air was heavy and nothing seemed to be able to break it.

"I see that you have finally come Red-Eyes," Aoi said softly.

The dragon, known as Red-Eyes, stared at all three brothers, his eyes lingering on Blue a couple of seconds longer before he chuckled. "Of course Aoi. My father made a promise to your family and I must stand by it."

Blue tilted his head in confusion, watching the interaction between the mysterious dragon and his older brother. Aoi smiled and held out his wing to the other dragon. "Before we bring up the promise, let me introduce you to my family." Aoi signaled both Azul and Blue to move forward.

"Red, these are my brothers, Azul and Blue. Guys, this is Red. He will be staying with us while we work out some things," Aoi introduced everybody gently. He nodded his head at his brothers, signaling them to go ahead and make themselves familiar with Red.

Azul flew up to the other dragon first, observing him up and down before attacking him. Blue gasped while Aoi groaned. Red had luckily dodged the attack but he had tiny scratches on his snout. Before the two dragons could start fighting though, Aoi stood in-between the two. "AZUL," Aoi growled out harshly, his eyes blazing a lighting blue. Azul and Blue sucked in a deep breath. Neither brother had ever been the product of their brother's anger. Azul looked at the smaller dragon one more time before flying off to their den.

Aoi sighed and turned back to Red. "I'm sorry about that Red. Azul is a bit…..hot-tempered."

Red smirked, waving off Aoi's apology. "It's fine Aoi. It's was quite…amusing," the older dragon said while trying to contain his laughter. Aoi looked at Blue and both brothers smiled before they looked back towards Red. "Alright Red. Why don't you come back to our den. I'm sure you're hungry after your long trip."

All three dragons took flight and glided a short way to the brothers den. They reach the living space in about five minutes before landing right outside the opening if the cave. Aoi nodded to the other dragons to follow him inside. Red looked at Blue and smiled as he signaled the younger dragon to go first. Blushing, Blue softly thanked Red and went ahead of the dragon.

The inside of the den was filled with light the farther the three dragons crawled inside. Several candles were sitting throughout the cave, lighting up the living space. There were several monster skins hanging on the walls and draped along the floor. Because they were dragons, several monsters came out to the mountains to hunt any dragon they could find. And unfortunantly for those monsters, their attacks often ended in demise. Sticking out of the floors were several sapphires that shined brightly against the candlelight. The sapphires helped the three brothers meditate and often times, the brothers could draw some energy from the pure jewels. Blue looked around the room untl he noticed his younger brother. Azul was sitting in the eating area, waiting for the dragons to sit down.

The four dragons situated themselves in the den, all of them watching each other while trying to figure out what to say. Aoi sighed and said, "Alright. How about we get down to business. Now you know exactly what the promise entails of you, right Red?" Red nodded his head. Blue and Azul gazed at each other in confusion.

"Good. Now, Azul and Blue. A long time ago while I was still a baby, our father made a pact with the Red-Eyes clan. Now, several hundred years ago, a dark force moved throughout the Monster realm. A fear grew in many of the monsters hearts because they feared that our world would finally come to an end. Because of this fear, many monsters betrayed each other in order to save their own skin. In fear that one of our clans would betray the other, the Red-Eyes clan and the Blue-Eyes clan made a treaty, a pact. This pact means that one dragon from each clan -meaning ours and Red's- would mate together in order to keep the alliance intact."

Azul shot up from his chair, ready to scream and shout but Azul beat him to it. "Don't start Azul! This pact was made a long time ago and we can't do anything about it with out breaking the alliance and starting a war," said Aoi in a stern voice.

Azul scowled and and sat back down. Blue noticed that Azul was growing red in the face, probably from anger. Red nodded before speaking up, "I've already picked who I want to mate with."

Aoi nodded and said, "Very well. Who is it?"

Red stood up and moved over to Blue, nuzzling his neck softly. "This one. He is strong yet compassionate. He's perfect."


	2. Chapter 2

It's been a week since the discussion about the pact. Everyone had decided that it was best that both Blue and Red were given a break before any serious decisions were made. Red had left soon after, saying that he would give Blue one week to come to a decision. He also said that there wasn't any pressure for Blue to accept his proposal. If Blue had chose not to mate with Red, the older dragon would mate with Aoi by default due to pact guidelines. It is stated in the pact that the older mate is allowed to ick his mate first. If the younger mate didn't accept, then the two oldest males that were present during the making of the pact would mate.

After Red had left, Aoi had rubbed his head against Blue's, whispering that if Blue chose not to mate with Aoi, then he wouldn't be mad. Aoi had said that he was surprised that Red had chosen Blue, not because he believed that this younger brother was unworthy but because Red had just met him that day. Azul had just stayed quiet, choosing to avoid both brothers. Both brothers rarely saw their younger counterpart in the last week. Aoi believed that it was because he was mad about not being picked but Blue knew better. He knew that Azul was really mad because he thought that his older brother was abandoning him and Aoi. And no matter how much Blue tried to tell him otherwise, Azul refused to listen.

Blue raised his head when he heard the sound of wings flapping outside the den. At first, he thought it was one of his brothers since they had left on a hunt earlier that day. And so, he wasn't prepared to see his potential mate standing outside the den watching him. The sight of Red brought a blush to Blue's face and the younger dragon hid his head his nest. Red, who saw his reaction, chuckled and moved over towards the other dragon. Red kneeled down onto Blue's nest, still watching the younger closely.

"So, have you come to a decision Blue?" Red questioned softly while he laid his head next to Blue's. The older dragon sniffed the younger and his licked Blue's snout lovingly.

Blue blushed and whispered, "Yes. I-I wish to join with you. I will be your mate." Blue quickly broke his gaze from Red's, too embarrased to look at the other.

Red smiled and dipped his head towards Blue's underbelly. The blue dragon laughed and rolled onto his back, being mindful of his wings. Red licked Blue's soft underbelly, taking in the moans and laughs that escaped the other dragon's mouth. He vaguely felt the muscles moving under the soft skin and he smiled gently. Red moved up slowly until he was licking Blue's neck. Blue tilted his head slightly, signaling Red to complete the bond and mark him. Smirking, Red bit harshly into Blue's neck, leaving his mark.

Blue whimpered softly, twitching slightly at the pain. Blue moved his head up and marked Red as well. The two slumped against each other and shivered as the bond was completed. An electric shock shot through the both of them, never seeming to stop. Blue gasped as he was suddenly bombarded by a wave of emotions. Digging his claws into Red, Blue opened his eyes slowly to gaze at his mate. Red's crimson eyes gazed back intensely.

"W-what was…..THAT!" Blue exclaimed. Red smirked at Blue while licking the other's snout.

"That love, was our bond connecting us. I can now feel your emotions and likewise," Red explained while staring at his mate intensely.

Blue smiled shyly and placed his snout to Red's. The two kissed softly, swimming in the emotions floating between them. Blue felt Red moving his snout slightly and he moved forward to capture the older in another kiss. Chuckling, Red resumed the kiss. "Blue? Are you in here?" Blue broke the kiss and smiled at Red before moving away from his nest. He stuck his neck out and shouted, "Yeah, I'm in here Aoi!"

Aoi and Azul flew into Blue's part of the den. Their eyes grew wide as they took in the sight of their brother and Red before Aoi smiled. "I take it that you have accepted Red's proposal?"

Blue blushed and nodded. Azul rolled his eyes but licked his brother's face. "Congratulations, I guess. You had better visit us or I'm going to come and drag you out here," Azul threatened half-heartingly. Blue smiled and licked Azul face back. Aoi patted his brother on the head before an innocent smile came to his face. "So…..when will I have some lovely nephews flying around?" Blue just blushed a deep red while Red smirked.


	3. Chapter 3

"Blue! Do you want anything special for dinner tonight?" Red shouted from outside the den opening.

Blue lifted his head up from where he was resting and shook his head. "No, I'm fine with whatever you bring back," he said.

Red nodded his head, moving inside of the den swiftly. Blue looked up at his mate playfully, tilting his head in mock confusion. "Can I help you?" Blue asked in amusement.

Red smirked, bending down until his face was in front of Blue's. The two stared at each other until Red nipped the tip of Blue's snout, causing the other to laugh softly. Blue moved his head closer to Red's, keeping his gaze locked with his mates. He licked the black dragon's cheek and nuzzled against the other softly. Red chuckled and turned the blue dragon's head so that it was facing him. The two kissed gently, kissing each other several times before Red finally moved away. His crimson eyes glitter brightly and watched as his younger mate laid back down in his nest.

Blue smiled at Red and waved him off. Red nodded and flew out of the den. A breeze brushed over Blue's wings seconds later and he shivered slightly. The den seemed colder to him now. Blue tunneled under the large leaves that made up his nest. He purred at the warmth and was about to fall asleep when a tingling fluttered on his stomach. He turned over to his back, looking down at his belly. Engraved on his underbelly, right under his ribs, was the bonding symbol that appeared after the mating ceremony was completed. A smile came to his face and he looked around Red's den.

After Aoi completed the bonding ceremony between Blue and Red, the black dragon insisted that Blue live with him in his den. This, of course, made Azul extremely mad- for matters that Blue and Aoi were still trying to figure out. Wanting to stay as close as he could to his mate, Blue agreed quickly and he easily moved into Red's den. And lucky for all three brothers, Red's den was just a few minutes away for Aoi's, so Blue could visit anytime he wanted.

Blue snapped out of his daze when he heard the sound of thunder in the distance. Standing up, he made his way over to the edge of the den. However, when he looked out of the opening, he didn't see any clouds. The skies were clear, a bright blue. Looking throughout the valley, Blue noticed smoke coming over from where Red flew off to. Blue's eyes narrowed slightly and he felt a weird feeling in his stomach. A shiver worked its way through his body and Blue gasped softly. He clutched his stomach and looked down at his belly in confusion before looking back up into the valley.

"I've got a bad feeling…..but what is it?" he asked to himself.

**DHDHDHDHDHDHDH**

Red was flying through the valleys in the mountains, ducking and weaving through occasional rocks that fell from above. Ever since he had left the den, he had almost been hit three times by boulders plummeting from up above. Look up briefly, his eyes narrowed.

"What in the world is going on around here?" he asked out loud.

Red moved his eyes back to see his path in front of him only come to a screeching halt. In front of him was a large pile of boulders, covering the entire valley pathway about halfway. Rocks from above continued to fall, adding to the pile. Besides rocks, Red also saw several spells and traps caught in the middle of the pile. He debated about what to do. Normally, he would just fly over the barrier and be on his merrily way, but this valley was a main traffic area. Many monsters came through the valley he was flying in, most carrying spells and traps to trade with dragons. And since he was one of the dragons who relied on the traffic of the spell cards, he knew that he had to find some way to clear out some of the mess.

He flew upward, trying to see exactly what was causing the blockade. Looking over the edge, his eyes widen as he saw a monster standing on the other side. There was a monster standing in front of the pile, sending out blasts of fire towards the mountains, causing large boulders to collapse to the ground. The monster had a sleek coat, shining brightly in the light. The monster looked slightly familiar to Red but he wasn't sure exactly he had seen a monster like the one at the bottom of the valley. Looking closer, Red's eyes widened as he recognized the monster as Zoa, one of his friends and a member of a clan who was an ally to the Red Eyes'.

"Zoa? What are you doing down there?" Red shouted loudly.

Zoa slowly turned his attention towards Red and the black dragon froze. A chill went down his spine. Zoa looked different from when he had last seen him in the Dark region. Instead of Zoa's regular ice blue eyes, his eyes were a blood red. A crazed look was also on his face and it took everything is Red to keep himself from flying away in terror. Zoa let out a oud growl and disappeared from Red's sight suddenly. Feeling his instincts scream at him, Red flew out of the way just in time to avoid a fire blast. However, the heat was so great that his sensitive wings tensed in pain.

"Zoa, what the hell is wrong with you? Snap out of it!" Red screamed out.

Red's screams didn't seem to do anything to break Zoa's trance and the monster continued to attack him. Not wanting to hurt his friend, Red just continued to dodge. One of the blasts launched by Zoa nicked his left wing and he nearly screamed at the burning pain. Tears came to his eyes but he held them back. He knew that if he didn't do something soon, he would be defeated, or worse.

"I'm so sorry Zoa," Red whispered before flying towards his friend. Zoa was too slow to dodge the attack and both monsters fell to the bottom of the valley in a heap. Red screamed loudly as the bone in his left wing snapped loudly. He shuddered in pain and grasped at the ground to try and take his mind off of the pain.

His claws brushed against something smooth and he froze. Opening his eyes, Red noticed a trap card underneath him. Gasping, he tried to get off the card before he activated it. However, the trap card started to glow and Red cursed loudly before doubling his efforts. The light radiating off of the trap card grew brighter and brighter. After a while of no success, Red slumped to the ground in defeat.

The trap card activated fully and Red felt a force enter his body. His body felt as though it was rearranging itself and he screamed in pain. Looking down slightly, Red read the name of the trap card that he activated and his eyes widened. The card read Metalmorph, but Red had no idea what it did. He did know that the card was an equip card for machine monsters but he had no idea as to why the trap card activated when he touched it. He stilled as a thought came to his head.

He remembered back when he was a child and his father was teaching him the ways of being in the Red Eyes clan. There were certain cards that both hindered and helped their race. One particular card was Metalmorph, which changed the entire chemical makeup of a Red Eyes Black Dragon. His father told him that while Metalmorph does offer immense power for their clan, it comes with a hefty price. He wasn't exactly sure what his father meant until one day, someone from another clan tried to sabotage the Red Eyes' clan. He remembered seeing his uncle react to the trap card and how he seemed to have lost his mind, attacking anything that moved or even breathed. After that day, it was a strict rule between the Red Eyes clan and the Zoa clan to never activate a Metalmorph card unless absolutely necessary. And even in dire situations, it was too dangerous to activate the card.

"Shit…that must have been what made Zoa loose his mind back there," Red groaned out.

The force doubled suddenly, causing Red to clench his eyes in pain. He could feel as the grasp on his conscious mind started to leave him and he tried to keep his eyes open for a little longer. However, the trap card seemed to have something else planned. The force was that inside of him twisted and turned until it finally moved up into his head. Red shook his head to try and slow down the force but the power just picked up speed. He felt as the bond between his morality and his actions severed and he finally blacked out.


	4. Chapter 4

It was currently sunset and Blue was currently pacing around the den. It had been about three hours since Red had left to get food and he still wasn't back yet. And it really worried Blue since it normally took Red only about half an hour to get food. He was also worried because he had heard rumors of monsters going wild in the valleys of the mountains as of late. Thoughts of what could have happened to Red flooded Blue's mind and he paced even faster.

Looking out of the den entrance, Blue was surprised to see that it was now dark outside. "Had I really been pacing around that much?" he asked himself quietly.

Taking one more glance outside, Blue laid down in the nest sadly. He burrowed under the straw and leaves until he was warm enough. His eyes drooped closed and he was about to doze off when the sound of wings flapping woke him up. Shooting up quickly, Blue looked towards the entrance in happiness only to frown when he saw that it was only his brothers.

Blue bowed his head in sadness and ignored his brothers as they flew into the den. Azul and Aoi were staring at Blue before the older dragon moved forward.

"Blue, we need to talk to you. It's about Red," Aoi said grimly.

Blue snapped his head up at his older brother in fear and moved closer to Aoi. Blue clutched his claws into his brother's arm, ignoring when Aoi hissed softly in pain.

"What are you talking about? Is Red okay? He's not hurt, is he?" Blue asked hysterically.

Azul snorted and rolled his eyes. "It'd probably be better if he was hurt," he muttered under his breath.

Blue turned to Azul and glared at him with a look of hate. "Just because you mutter something under your breath doesn't mean I can't hear it _Azul_," Blue growled out.

Azul scowled and pushed Aoi out of the way. Blue glared even harder and moved closer to his brother. Both dragons were staring at each other in hate, trying to get the other to back down. Azul sneered at Blue while the older dragon looked his younger brother up and down. Aoi looked at his brothers before he pushed Azul away from Blue.

"Azul, remember what I told you. And Blue, stop trying to pick a fight with Azul. You know how he is," Aoi said sternly.

Azul rolled his eyes but kept his mouth shut. Blue sighed and averted his gaze away from Aoi. Blue walked over to the other side of the den and leaned against the wall. He took in several calming breaths before looked towards his brothers.

"What is it you two want? Because if it's to try and get me to come back, I'm not going to hear it. I love living with Red and there's nothing you two can do about it," Blue said defiantly.

Azul scoffed and said, "Yeah, of course you would be the one in love with a fucking murderer."

The entire den became deathly quiet. Aoi glared at Azul while the youngest just stared back with a bored expression. Blue stared at the two in surprise and looked back and forth between his brothers.

"What are you talking about Azul?" Blue asked.

Aoi glared one more time at the younger dragon before turning towards Blue. A sad expression crossed his face and he moved closer to his brother slightly. Blue back away and stared at his brother suspiciously.

"What is going on?" Blue asked tightly.

Aoi sighed and slumped down in exhaustion. He looked up at Blue and signaled him to sit down in the nest. Blue continued to watch his brother suspiciously but did what his brother asked.

"First off, I have to be sure of something; did Red leave anytime today about three or two hours ago?" Aoi asked.

Blue's eyes widened and he nodded. Aoi cursed while Azul laughed bitterly. Both Aoi and Blue glared at Azul. Aoi turned back to Blue.

"There have been….sightings. Some dragons have said that they have seen….that they've seen Red flying through the valleys, attacking the mountain faces and any monsters that came into his path," Aoi said sadly.

Blue looked at Aoi is disbelief before he stood up. He pointed a claw at his older brother and shouted, "No! You're lying! Red would never do that!"

Azul took this time to push Blue back into the nest. He glared at his older brother and hovered over top of him. Blue looked up and stared at Azul in surprise.

"W-what are you…?" Blue started to ask before Azul hissed at him.

"You are so _NAÏVE! _Do you really think that you own_ brothers_ would lie to you?" Azul hissed out angrily.

Blue's eyes widened in fear and surprise. He looked over to Aoi for help but the eldest dragon just turned head away. Blue felt claws gripping his face and his head was forced to look back at Azul's.

"You know Blue, you've become really ungrateful ever since you mated with that good for nothing dragon. It's really pathetic how much you've come to depend on him so much, more so than your own brothers," Azul said in disgust.

Blue bit his tongue, trying to hold himself back from killing his brother. He looked back towards his older brother, who seemed to agree with Azul's statement even though he didn't say anything. Blue narrowed his eyes at his older brother but Aoi averted his gaze. Blue looked back up to Azul, still seeing the angry look on his face. Taking in a deep breath, Blue stood up and stared Azul directly in his eyes. Azul froze but stopped himself from showing his fear.

Blue moved closer to Azul until their snouts were inches away. "Let me tell you something Azul. I could care less about what the hell you think. If you can't be happy for me, even once in my life, then I see no need in trying to keep nice with you," he breathed out.

Azul narrowed his eyes and was about to argue back when he was suddenly blasted to the back wall. His wings took most of the hit and he groaned out in pain. Azul slumped to the floor in pain and didn't move for several minutes. Aoi shot up and flew over to Azul. He checked his injuries and looked back at Blue surprise.

"Blue….why?" Aoi asked sadly.

Blue could tell that he wasn't asking about why he attacked his own brother but about why he did leave his family for Red, even though he was his mate. Blue sighed and looked outside.

"I felt like…I didn't belong there. Don't get me wrong Aoi. You are my brother and I do love you, but I belong here with Red," Blue said.

Aoi bowed his head down and nodded in agreement. Blue felt the edge of his mouth twitch slightly. He moved over to Aoi and moved down to his brother.

"Was it true? What you said?" Blue asked.

Aoi looked up and nodded in sadness. "Yes. I heard it from Thousand Dragon. He told me exactly what he saw."

Blue sighed and moved to the entrance of the den before stopping. He looked back to Aoi and Azul, whom was still unconscious. Aoi looked up when he realized that Blue still hadn't left yet. The two brothers locked gazes and stayed in their places before Aoi bowed his head. Blue turned away and flew out of the den.

He sighed in happiness as he felt the cool air flow over his wings. He closed his eyes at the pleasurable feeling of being able to spread his wings after days of staying in the den doing nothing.

He decided to pick up his speed and moved his wings slightly to accelerate his speed. He flew through the valley quickly, checking the area around him as best as he could in the darkness. He flew through the several obstacles in the valley expertly, diving and weaving through the rocks.

He had been flying for about ten minutes and was about to give up on finding Red when he heard a loud roar coming from up ahead. Blue halted and stared up ahead with trepidation. He weighed the options in his mind about what he should do. He know that he wouldn't be able to fight off what ever was further down in the valley but he did know that he would easily be able to fly away from any potential danger. Blue decided to take a chance and he took off to what ever made the roar.

He kept his eyes open for any movement around him and he shouted as he felt claws scratching his tail. Blue looked back and felt his blood freeze as he stared back at blood red eyes. Blue turned around quickly, making sure to keep the monster away from his body. He came to a stop and watched the monster in front of him.

He narrowed his eyes, trying to see with the little light in the valley. He sighed as he realized that he wouldn't be able to see. Looking up at the sky, Blue unleashed his attack, White Lightning. The other monster roared and charged towards him, probably thinking that Blue was attacking him. Blue ended his attack and took this time to look at his opponent.

Blue froze as he recognized the general shape of the monster. "Red?" he asked softly.

The other dragon just ignored him thought and roared even louder. Red charged towards Blue quickly, catching the blue dragon off guard. Blue hissed as the junction connecting his wing and body was slashed slightly.

"Red, what's wrong with you?" Blue asked incredulously.

Red ignored Blue again and attacked Blue yet again. Blue dodged this time and looked at his mate with tears in his eyes.

"Red…"


	5. Chapter 5

"Red….," Blue said, devastated.

Red just stared right back at him but Blue knew that it wasn't Red he was looking at. It had to be some other monster, some mistake. There was no way that his mate, his _mate_, would attack him without any regret. But everything about the dragon in front of him screamed Red. Even the way he fought was deathly close to how Red went into combat.

Blue suddenly got an idea. "If I can't find the mating symbol on the back on his neck, than there's no way that's Red," Blue muttered to himself.

Blue moved his gaze back to connect with Red's and he clenched his eyes shut. Those blood red eyes haunted him, went straight to his core and froze his blood. The way that they seemed to be staring straight into his soul and violating his every secret. But what made it even worse was the lifeless expression on the dragon's face. It was almost as if he wasn't even alive.

Then, out of nowhere, a gleam entered Red's eyes. The black dragon charged at him with a murderous look shining in his. Blue gasped and barely moved out of the way of the dragon's attack. The blue dragon dived towards the bottom of the valley. The air around him whipped at his face harshly and he could barely keep his eyes open. HE could feel his body start to spiral quickly as the air caught in his bent wings. Blue saw the ground approaching fast and if he didn't do something quick, he knew that he wouldn't survive the impact.

Spanning his wings out to their full wingspan, Blue pulled himself upward. Right as his claws grazed the ground, Blue had pulled himself back into the air. He hissed as both his wings and his spine were throbbing in slight pain at the exertion.

Flying back towards Red, Blue reached out for the older dragon and grabbed his clawed foot. With all of his strength, Blue pulled Red down. The black dragon tried to get out of his grip but ultimately failed. Red dropped down right below Blue and the blue dragon took this time to look for the mating symbol.

Blue froze as he saw the mating symbol engraved in his neck, plain as day. The symbol of their bonding, their family crests merged together into one, was in his line of sight and he knew that there was no way that anybody could have imitated the exact design. Blue blinked back the tears and tried to fly off in the opposite direction, somewhere where he doesn't have to think about what he just saw. However, Red had grabbed the base of his wings tightly and dug his claws into the muscles under the sensitive skin. Blue screamed in pain and tried to move from Red's grip. However, every time he moved, Red's claws just dug in deeper.

After several painful moments of struggle, Blue finally got free. However, the base of wings were mangled beyond repair and bleeding heavily. He tried to fly away from Red despite his injuries. But he found that each time he tried to flap his wings downward, the sky around him seemed to spin faster and faster. But he knew that if he didn't fly, he would die one way or another.

"Damn…," Blue cursed under his breath, looking up at Red cautiously.

Red just stared back blankly. There was a glimmer of hope in Blue, wishing deep down that somewhere deep inside of Red, his mate would see him and come back to the surface. But his hopes were soon dashes as he saw a grotesque smirk comes onto the black dragon's face. Blue froze in fear. The smirk made Red look like another monster. As if the mate he knew was no longer inside of Red's body.

"What's wrong _Blue_? You look scrared," Red purred out evilly.

Blue narrowed his eyes in suspicion. In a split second, Red's entire body language changed. Red looked more aggressive and his posture was straighter than it ever was before. Even the crimson in his eyes were darker.

Blue growled out harshly, "Who the hell are you? What have you done with Red?"

The monster in Red's body smirked and flew closer to Blue. The blue dragon backed up slightly.

"Why, I'm just….borrowing your mate's body. It's such a _lovely _fit, I find it hard to give it up so easily," He said in a smug voice.

Blue sucked in a harsh breath and felt tears stinging his eyes. "Red's body isn't something you can just….WEAR!"

The black dragon just smiled cruelly and flew closer to Blue. He kept getting closer until his breath mingled with the younger dragon's. Blue shivered in fear but held his ground with the other dragon. Their eyes locked with each other's and neither one blinked or moved their eyes away from the other. Red smirked and grasped Blue's face with his claws. Blue flinched in surprise and hissed slightly as Red's claws dug into his face. His sharp claws cut into the flesh of his cheeks. Blood started to drip down Blue's face and onto Red's claws.

"Such a beautiful dragon you are….," Red whispered in mild awe.

Blue, in fear of invoking another attack from the other dragon, stood deathly still. Red's eyes moved up Blue's body in interest until they stopped at his mating mark. His eyes widened before a laugh came out of his mouth. Blue scowled but kept quiet.

Red's eyes continued its trek upwards until his eyes connected with Blue's again. "It's just too bad that I'm going to have to scar this beautiful body," Red commented in mock sadness.

Blue's eyes widened before he pushed himself away from Red. He cried out as Red's claws scratched deeply into his cheeks. The skin on his face was gashed open and he could feel the numbness start to set in quickly. Blue struggled to keep himself in the air as he watched the black dragon warily. He could tell that sooner or later, he would collapse from blood loss but he prayed deeply that he would be able to get away first before that happened.

Red observed his claws curiously before he licked the blood off of his appendages. Blue shuddered in disgust and turned his head away.

"Now, don't be like that Blue," Red purred, his crimson eyes glimmering.

Blue kept his head down and clenched his eyes tight. He concentrated on his family, his friends, anything that would get his mind off of the sadistic dragon in front of him. Red just chuckled and spread his wings wide. He flapped them a couple of times before charging towards Blue at full speed. Blue, hearing the flaps, looked up and sucked in a harsh breath. His eyes locked one last time with Red's blood red irises before he tensed his body.

A flash of lightning blue intercepted Red's attack and threw the black dragon back several feet. Red cursed and tumbled down until he collided with the valley face directly below them. Blue gasped in surprise and flew forward somewhat. His eyes widened as he took in the appearance of the other monster that had just joined the fight.

"Father?"


	6. Chapter 6

"Father?"

Blue's eyes grew wider as he took in the appearance of his father, Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. He felt his heart clench in both happiness and surprise. This was only the second time he had seen his father in his entire life. The first time was after he was born. He vaguely remembered his father had holding him lovingly and placing a spell over him to protect him until he learned to battle. Soon after the visit, his father left to go into battle.

Even before his father was born, a continuous war had been going on between the dragons and the warriors. The warriors wished to invade into the mountains and capture any dragon they can while the dragons wanted more land. This, of course, started a large war and it has been going on for about five hundred years now.

Now there were some warriors who weren't participating in the war and who have signed a peace treaty with the dragons to exclude themselves from the fight, such as the Celtic Guardians and Black Luster Soldier. And on the other side, there were some dragons who wanted nothing to do with the war, such as Blue, his brothers, and the Red Eyes clan. And despite the Blue Eyes clan's wishes and demands, Blue's father still decided to go into war and help the dragons win.

And so, the sight of his father stunned him. He started to fly closer to his father when Red suddenly let out another fire blast. Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon moved in front of his son, protecting Blue from the intense heat. Blue ducked his head under his father's wing and hissed in surprise. The blast held on for a couple more seconds before it died down. Blue's father lowered his wing and looked over to Blue.

"I going to need you to stay back Blue," Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon commanded.

Blue looked at his father in surprise before frowning defiantly. "No! Red is my mate and I'm not just going to abandon him!" I exclaim.

His father looked at him harshly and growled out, "This _beast_ isn't your mate. It may be his body, but whatever is inside of him isn't Red. Now, stop acting like a spoiled brat and STAY BACK!"

Blue recoiled as if he were slapped. His eyes were wide in hurt and he watched as his father just stared at him before turning back around. His father leaned down slightly and shot off right for Red. The black dragon smirked at Blue's father and charged towards him.

Blue watched in horror as his father and his mate rushed towards each other. He found that he couldn't look away, no matter how much he wanted to. Red moved his arm up, getting ready to slash Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon with his claws. Blue's father just kept watching Red as he charged faster. The two were about five feet away from each other when Blue's father let out his attack, Neutron Blast.

Red's grew wide before he dived sharply to dodge that attack. He felt as the electricity in the blast stung him along the top his head and he hissed loudly. The blast flew right over top of his head and he sighed in slight relief as he dodged the brute of the attack. Red looked back up and smirked before preparing his own attack. He opened his mouth and charged up his ultimate attack, Flash Flare Blast.

Blue's eyes grew wider as he saw Red's power growing larger. All of his magical power was being poured into this blast and if it hit his father, there was no way that he would survive. Blue flew over to his father and stood beside him. His father looked beside him in surprise.

"Blue! You need to get out of here now!" Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon screamed out.

Blue stood firm and shook his head. "Father, there is no way that you'll survive this blast if he unleashes it. Not to mention, it could destroy the entire mountain region if we don't stop him. So if you're done trying to protect me, we need to stop him," I say seriously.

Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon stared at his son before he nodded his head. "We'll need to combine our powers. That's the only way to stop him from fully charging his blast. Our electricity will disrupt his fire power."

Blue nodded and both dragons started to combine their electrical attacks. Blue shuddered as he felt Red's power start to skyrocket suddenly. He shook his head and concentrated on helping his father.

"This is the end! FLASH FLARE BLAST!" Red shouted out evilly.

Blue and his father stared in horror as the enormous blast started to descend towards the mountains.

"Father, we have to throw our blast NOW!" Blue shouted.

Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon nodded and gave the last of his power to the blast before aiming it towards the center of Red's attack.

"NEUTRON LIGHTING ATTACK!"

The two attacks fell towards the mountains in top speed. Blue sucked in a harsh breath as he saw Red's attack getting closer and closer to the mountains. If their attack didn't make it in time, there was no way that any of the inhabitants in the mountains would survive.

"It's not going to make it," Blue's father whispered out.

Blue looked at his father before snapping his head back down at where the two blasts were falling. Bit by bit, Blue saw as Red's attack started to gain speed while their's lagged behind. Blue looked over to his father once last time before flying towards the valley.

"BLUE!" Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon shouted.

Blue ignored his father's call and continued to descend towards the two blasts.

"I only have one shot," Blue whispered to himself.

Blue closed his eyes and silently prayed to Ra before snapping his eyes open. He opened his mouth and aimed and attack at both blasts heading towards the mouth of the valley. He waited until the right moment before he shot his blast. He waited for several seconds and for a minute, he thought that he may never find an opening and that the entire dragon race was doomed. But right when his hopes started to slip, his eyes widened as he saw the perfect moment.

"WHITE LIGHTNING!"

Blue unleashed his attack and watched as it charged right for both attacks. His attack molded in with his father's blast. He cheered on the inside as he saw that the blast grew both larger and faster. It charged right for Red's attack and Blue stopped flying towards the valley. He watched in awe as the two blasts collided with each other.

A bright light filled the entire area around the valley before a loud roaring followed behind. Blue screamed as he was blasted away from the valley. He kept flying back until he felt someone grabbing his leg tightly. Opening his eyes, he saw his father looking at him with pride shining in his eyes. Blue smiled and looked over to where the two blasts had collided with each other. There was a large cloud of smoke surrounding the entire valley and a huge crater was embedded in the valley. But other than that, there wasn't any other damage to the mountains. Blue looked around and cursed in his head.

Red was nowhere to be seen and that sent warning bells of in Blue's mind. He looked around but found that the smoke and dust around him hindered his sight drastically. He felt his heart start to pound faster, especially due to the fact that Red's senses were more developed than his, meaning that it would be much easier for the black dragon to find him. Blue looked over to his father, only to gasp.

"Father, watch out!"

Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon looked behind himself in time to see Red charging towards him with an evil smirk on his face. His father was too slow to move out of the way. Blue moved without fully comprehending what he was doing and he soon found himself right in front of his father. Blue's eyes widened slightly and he looked up in time to see Red looking right at him in surprise.

Blue felt Red's claws stab his chest before his entire fist went through his body. Blue's breath left his body and he felt his body become numb and cold. He looked down at Red's hand, which was now being ripped from his body, before looking back into Red's eyes. The black dragon was staring at him blankly before he turned his attention to Blue's father. Blue's body was shutting down quickly and his vision was getting blurry. He felt his body start to fall towards the valley floor but he knew he couldn't do anything to stop it. He finally crashed onto one of the ledges along the side of the mountain face. His eyes started to shut close and he vaguely heard a scream of pain come from his father. He sighed one last time before he shut his eyes and welcomed the darkness.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: Sorry for not updating in a while. I've been really busy as of late, so it's slowing down my progress with some of my fanfics. But that gives me more reason to write this chapter as best as I can. I hope you enjoy it.**

**And just for a heads-up, about halfway through the story, the beast who is taking over Red's body (Metalmorph) will start to be known Metal and not Red. (Just so no one will be confused)**

Red watched sadistically as Blue plummeted towards the valley. The sound of his body colliding with the earth could be heard and it brought a smirk to Red's face. One down and one to go. An evil laugh started to bubble out of his chest and his attention moved over Blue's father. Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon was seething and the entire area around the two dragons became blistering hot.

"What's wrong, _Ultimate Dragon?_ You look….stressed," Red mocked.

Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon let out a loud roar and charged towards Red in blind anger. The black dragon smirked and held his position in the air. He was amused by the angry look on Ultimate Dragon's face. It wasn't everyday that someone was able to push one of the greatest dragons alive into a blind rage.

When Blue's father was almost a few feet away, Red disappeared in thin air. Ultimate Dragon gasped and halted suddenly. He looked around but couldn't spot Red anywhere. It was as if he wasn't even there. All of a sudden, his instincts started to scream at him to turn around.

"Guess who," Red purred out.

Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon froze in terror and tried to move away. However, Red saw this and grabbed onto Ultimate Dragon's arm with his claws. His sharp claws dug into the blue dragon's touch skin. Ultimate Dragon hissed in pain and slashed at Red. The black dragon just smirked as he felt the other dragon's claws scratching his face. Blood started to drip from the shallow wounds. Red released his grip on the blue dragon and nearly laughed as the other dragon flew away from him quickly.

"What's wrong Ultimate Dragon? I thought you were stronger than this," Red laughed.

Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon growled and charged towards Red blindly. The black dragon smirked at the other dragon's recklessness and just held his ground. Waiting until the right moment, Red suddenly unleashed a fire ball. Ultimate Dragon stopped dead and watched helplessly as the fire came closer to him. He found that no matter what he did, he would still be hit by the fire.

Looking around at his surroundings, Ultimate Dragon looked up one last time before erecting a shield. About five seconds later the blast collided with his poorly made barrier. The barrier broke under the pressure and heat, sending Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon flying down towards the valley. He clenched his teeth in pain and looked up at Red one last time before he fell onto the ground in a heap.

Red laughed evilly while watching the other dragon fall. "This was too easy! Such weaklings these dragons are nowadays!"

Red turned to fly out of the mountains when he felt something tightening in his heart. He stopped and gripping his chest. A grimace came to his face before he looked down. From where he was he could barely make out Blue's ragged form. His heart clenched some more before a burst of pain hit him, this time coming from his head.

Grunting, Red clutched at his head before lurching forward. A growl erupted from his mouth before he scowled.

"Looks like the baby dragon can't learn to sit still," Red muttered to himself.

Red suddenly felt a change come over down at his metallic shell, Red's eyes widened as he realized that the skin was slowly wearing away and that the original color was starting to appear. The original Red Eyes was starting to gain control back. The monster in Red's body frowned and looked down at his claw. The change was happening faster than he thought it would.

"_...Metal...-tal...g-...out..."_

Cursing in his head, Metal looked around the mountains frantically. His eyes caught the color of a trap card and he narrowed his eyes. A large smirk came to his face as he realized that the trap was another Metalmorph. He couldn't imagine his luck. If he were to get control of another Metalmorph, his power would double- perhaps even triple. It would also make so that Red would become nonexistent.

Making sure that both of the Blue Eyes' dragons were down for the count, Red made a bee line straight for the trap card. He could feel laughter start to bubble out of his chest. This was almost too easy for him, not that he was complaining.

"Now is my time for glory!" Metal shouted out.

His sadistic laughter echoed throughout the mountain range as he came into range of the card. He reached out for the trap card and prepared himself for the burst of power that he knew that he would be feeling. However, before his claws could make contact with the card, he suddenly lost control of his body. His wings stopped flapping and he crashed into the ground, about a few feet away from the trap card.

"…_.get….o-out….."_

Metal looked around in surprise. He looked over to Blue and Utimate Dragon but noticed that both dragons were still slumped in defeat. It was the same voice as before, only this time it was louder. But he knew it couldn't be from either of the dragons, which left only one person.

"Shit! So Red's decided to make an appearance," Metal growled out.

Looking back to the card, Red made a movement to touch the card again, only to fall to the ground. A mind-numbing pain raked at his head and he couldn't stop himself from nearly clawing away at his head.

"_Get out…of…-m-my….-ead….."_

Metal's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. He was losing control of the dragon's body. He closed his eyes briefly and teleported himself mentally into his mental plane. He glanced around at the mental prison that he had constructed especially for the black dragon. Red was standing right in front of the cage he was trapped in at first. The cuffs that were attached to his forearms and hind legs were broken from the chain. The muzzle that he had attached to the dragon's mouth was ripped apart and the pieces were scattered across the ground. But what made Metal stop dead was the expression on Red's face. Red's black eyes were staring straight at Metal with a determined look. He wasn't about to let Metal gain control over his body again.

Metal tried to secure the locks and traps that held the black dragon before but he found it to be useless. The black dragon had already destroyed all of the traps and the only way for Metal to hold Red down for eternity was for him to reach the trap card.

Pushing the pain in the back of his mind, Metal began crawling towards the trap card. He was inching towards the trap card and with each movement, Red banged harder at the barrier that blocked the two from each other. Red watched as Metal continued to move despite the constant pain that he put him through. Red stopped when he remembered one last thing he could do to stop Metal right in his tracks.

A smirk started to come to Metal's face when his claws were just centimeters away from Metalmorph.

"_GET OUT OF MY HEAD_!"

Metal suddenly found himself expelled from Red's body in a fury. He was thrown to the nearest cliff face, and he tumbled down to the ground. The entire mountains shook with the collision for the next few seconds until it calmed down. A deathly silence settled over the mountains. Red held his breath, anticipating something.

Metal growled in anger and began to stand up when a huge lurch occurred in the mountains, sending him right back to the ground. He looked around but saw nothing out of the ordinary. However, his instincts were screaming at him. His eyes grew wide before he glimpsed down. A large shadow had formed around him and it was only growing bigger. Metal snapped his head up and cursed as he saw a large boulder crashing towards him.

Metal spread his wings and started to fly off when he was tackled down by a large weight. Looking up, Metal thrashed around as he saw Red on top of him.

"GET OFF OF ME, YOU PATHETIC DRAGON. YOU WILL GET US BOTH KILL!" Metal shouted in outrage.

Red smirked and stared at Metal with blank eyes. "Then I guess that's a sacrifice I'm going to have to deal with," he said dully.

Metal's eyes grew wide before he let out a howl. Red glanced up and shut his eyes in defeat. He let out a breath and started praying mentally. But before he could start to make his amends, something dragged him off of Metal's body in a rush. Eyes snapping open, Red watched as the boulder made its way down the cliff.

The entire event passed by in slow-motion to Red as he watched the boulder crush Metal. His silver blood splattered out from under the large rock, striking Red right on his face. Red closed his face, trying to block out the horrific image. His heart was pounding fast as he thought about what could happened if he had been crushed like Metal. Red pushed he thoughts out of his head.

The figure who had saved him from a harsh death placed him on the ground softly. Red felt claws inspecting his body, probably checking for injuries. Red barely noticed that he was trembling terribly until he felt the person touch his face gently. He flinched back and cracked his eyes open. The area around him was blurry and no matter how much he rubbed his eyes, he found that nothing would clear up and focus. Red felt his heart to pound in fear when he saw that he could barely see anything.

"I think that you may be partially blind but I'm not sure."

Looking up, Red saw a blue figure hovering over him. Before he could stop himself, Red found himself hugging the figure tightly.

"Oh my Ra, Blue! I'm so happy you're okay!" Red exclaimed.

The figure tensed in his arms. Red backed away slightly before tilting his head in confusion. The figure looked much bigger that Blue. The figure sighed and placed his claw on his face. Red lifted his head up to look into what he believed to be the figure's eyes.

"I am not my son. He is….still in the valley," the figure said solemnly.

Red's eyes widened before he looked at the figure. As he took in the height and width of the dragon he realized that the person who had saved him was Blue's father.

_"I must really be blind if I couldn't even tell the difference between my mate and his father,"_ Blue thought to himself.

Looking over to where the boulder had crushed Metal, all of the memories of what had happened caught up with him. He remembered getting caught in Metalmorph's trap, becoming a blood-crazed maniac, hurting Blue.

Red's eyes widened in horror before he looked up to Ultimate Dragon.

"Is Blue...is he okay?" Red asked helplessly.

Blue felt something inside of him break when Ultimate Dragon turned his head away. He couldn't believe that he had let that _monster_ hurt his mate. He fell to his knees and looked up to the sky with blank eyes. He couldn't stop himself crying. He felt as if his entire world had been destroyed. The only person who understood him was dead now because of his stupidity.

He didn't notice when Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon walked up to him until he felt a hand on his head. Red looked up helplessly at Ultimate Dragon.

"Red...I never said that he was dead. I'm just not sure if he is okay," Ultimate Dragon said softly.

Red looked over to Ultimate Dragon in astonishment. Ultimate Dragon held out his hand and Red grabbed it timidly.

"We need to go. I'm not sure how much damage Blue took," Ultimate Dragon said.

Ultimate Dragon took one step forward, only to fall to his knees in pain. Red looked down in surprise. Despite his blurred vision, he could see an ugly bruise starting to appear on the older dragon's stomach. Guilt went through Red's body and he kneeled down to help Ultimate Dragon.

"Why didn't you tell me you were injured?" Red asked in anger.

Ultimate Dragon smiled grimly before grimacing in pain. "Your health is more important at the moment than my own," he groaned out.

Red frowned at Ultimate Dragon and situated the older dragon in a way that wouldn't cause him any unnecessary pain. He silently apologized to Ultimate Dragon. He stood up and spread his wings to fly. Red took off quickly in the direction where he remembered Blue falling. After a few seconds of flying, Red's body started to scream in pain. However, he pushed his pain aside and flew faster.

Once he came into the area, Red slowed down and looked around. But due to his impaired vision, he found that it was much harder to spot Blue. Sighing, Red lowered himself into the valley and continued his search. Almost as soon as he went deep into the valley, he spotted a blue heap on the ground. Without hesitation, Red flew over to where Blue was laying. Blood surrounded the blue dragon's body.

Red kneeled down to check Blue's vitals and cursed. Blue was barely breathing and it seemed as though the puddle of blood was slowly growing. And if kept up, Blue would bleed out completely, if he hadn't already. Ignoring his screaming wounds, Red lifted Blue and draped him over his back. Then, he slowly rose up into the sky, being mindful of Blue on his back.

He moved back to where he had left Ultimate Dragon as fast as he could without injuring Blue anymore than he already had. He landed down once he reached Ultimate Dragon's area and placed Blue down next to his father. Moving over to the older dragon, Red shook him softly.

"Ultimate Dragon, do you think you could teleport us somewhere?" Red asked quickly.

Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon cracked open an eye and nodded his head slowly. "I believe I have enough energy to take us somewhere. Where do you need to go?"

Red looked off to the distance and said, "To Dark Sage's home. He should help us."

Ultimate Dragon nodded his head and closed his eyes. The air around them became distorted and started to shimmer before a bright light engulfed all three dragons.


	8. Chapter 8

Red grunted as he fell down onto the ground, all of Blue's weight settling on his back. Ultimate Dragon tumbled down next to him in a heap. Red looked around and sighed in relief as he recognized the surroundings. They were about a few yards from Dark Sage's hut. Unfortunately, that meant that Red had to drag both Blue and his father to the cabin.

Groaning, Red made sure that Blue was secure on his back before grabbing onto Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon's tail. The older dragon groaned low in his throat at the feeling of his tail being grabbed. The black dragon silently apologized before he started making his trek towards Dark Sage's cabin. He had probably walked about a few feet when he suddenly heard a twig snapping to his right.

"Red Eyes, what are you doing here?"

Red looked up quickly and smiled grimly at Dark Sage. He hadn't expected the Sage to be out in the woods at this time but either way, it worked in his favor.

"I need your help. Blue and his father are badly injured and you were the only person that I thought could help," Red confessed urgently.

Dark Sage gazed at the bloody bodies of Ultimate Dragon and Blue before nodding his head in agreement. The older magician walked up to Red and erected a barrier around the three dragons.

"This barrier will teleport you all to my home. I shall be there momentarily," Dark Sage remarked before teleporting the dragons away.

Red closed his eyes as the area around him started to spin. Seconds later, he opened his eyes and found himself in Dark Sage's home. Looking around, Red placed Blue down on the ground softly and took a seat next to his mate. Blue was barely breathing at this point and Red silently wished that the Sage would hurry up. His heart was pounding loudly and he couldn't keep fear from gripping his heart.

Just when Red was about to leave the cabin in search of Dark Sage, the older magician appeared right in front of him. He was carrying a bush of herbs in his hands. Red looked at Dark Sage with wide eyes. The black dragon wasn't sure how the older magician was able to collect such a large amount of herbs in such a short amount of time. The Sage walked over to a table and placed the herbs down before glancing back at Red.

"Bring Blue and his father over here so that I can examine them both," Dark Sage said.

Red nodded his head and quickly picked Blue back up. He carried him over to the table and placed him down. Immediately, Dark Sage set to work. He started mixing up herbs in a bowl while he sent some of his magic to clean up Blue's wounds. Red watched closely as the blood and dirt got cleaned from his mate's body. Dark Sage rubbed some of the medicine that he mixed up into Blue's deepest wounds, trying to rid of the troublesome areas first.

Dark Sage then concentrated his magic into his hands and scanned over Blue's body to check for any internal wounds. He sent some of his magic into the white dragon's body and sucked in a harsh breath. The older magician's face became grave before he relinquished his magical hold on Blue.

Red looked at Dark Sage in worry and asked, "What? What's wrong?"

Dark Sage ignored Red and walked over to Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. He did the same procedure that he preformed with Blue, only this time he let out a sigh of relief once he was done. Slightly annoyed with Dark Sage's silence, Red moved beside the magician. The black dragon watched in awe as Ultimate Dragon's wounds seemed to heal right before his eyes. And while some of Ultimate Dragon's body was still a deep blue and purple, he was healing up nicely.

"I would appreciate it if you would stop looking over my shoulder," Dark Sage said offhandedly.

Red scowled and growled out, "What is going on that you won't tell me? I want to know!"

Dark Sage sighed and looked Red straight in the eye. Red flinched at the Sage's intense gaze and lowered his gaze slightly. His eyes trailed back to Blue and he felt a wave of guilt hit him again. Biting his lip, Red looked back up at Dark Sage and held his ground.

"Tell me what's wrong with my mate," Red begged.

Dark Sage shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You want the truth? Fine, here it is. Your mate is dieing and there's nothing you can do about it."

Red froze. His eyes snapped over to Blue and he stared at his mate in horror. Blue couldn't die, that was impossible. He was apart of the legendary Blue Eyes clan and they were known for their versatility. Thoughts of his mate dieing revolved around in his head. He choked on a sob that threatened to come out of his throat. His eyes started to water. He didn't know what he would do if his mate were to die. His entire world revolved around the other dragon.

"So...my mate is going to die...because of me?" Red choked out.

Dark Sage avoided Red's gaze. By now, the Sage was starting to feel guilty about what he had said. He knew that Red didn't need to hear the news exactly in that fashion, but he wasn't sure how else to word it.

The black dragon sucked in a sharp breath and couldn't hold back his tears anymore. He collapsed to the ground and clenched his claws tightly together.

"Has the death of your mate really made you this cold-hearted, Dark Sage?"

Red and Dark Sage looked up in surprise to see Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon glowering at the older magician. Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon was leaning up against the couch where the Sage had laid him earlier. The Sage narrowed his eyes.

"I see no need to lie to someone when the outcome is blatantly obvious," Dark Sage said simply.

Ultimate Dragon growled out, "But that gives you no right to pour salt on the wound! Especially when your comment is completely false."

Red snapped his head up and stared at Ultimate Dragon in astonishment. "What are you talking about?" he asked, hope lingering in his voice.

Ultimate Dragon sat up slowly, his body still sore. He signaled Red to sit next to him and the black dragon took a seat next to his mate's father.

"You see, there is a legend that is passed down in our clan. Have you ever heard of the Domain of the Monsters?" Ultimate Dragon asked,

Red tilted his head in confusion. "I don't think that I have. What is it?"

"Well, little is known about the region, but there is a myth that three dragons live there. Timaeus, the dragon on honor; Critias, the dragon of war; and Hermos, the dragon of courage," Ultimate Dragon said.

Red nodded his head in understanding, but he was still confused. "Okay, but I don't understand how that will save Blue."

"Nor do I," Dark Sage chimed in.

Ultimate Dragon glared at Dark Sage before turning his head towards Red. "I was getting to that. You see, it is said that the three dragon's guard a special artifact in the depths of the Domain. This artifact is known as the Dragon's Heart. Now, it is said that the Dragon's Heart has the power to revive an entire army of dragons just with the flick of a wrist. It has the firepower to ruin or raise a kingdom in an instance. It even has the power to change the past and future," Ultimate Dragon relayed.

Red's eyes grew wider as he heard the legend. The power to not only bring back his mate, but to be able to make sure that nothing else harms him for the rest of their lives. It sounded too good to be true, in fact, Red was positive there was a catch.

"That sounds interesting. But what is the price for obtaining such a powerful object?" Dark Sage asked.

Ultimate Dragon sighed and shook his head. "You just have to being down the entire conversation, don't you? Well, it is said that the only way to obtain the Dragon's Heart is to pass the tests that all three Legendary Dragons have set up."

"And what exactly are these tests?" Red asked in apprehension.

"It is never known exactly what tasks the three dragons will choose to enact. However, in the past, I have heard that some of the tasks included defeating an army of ogres, escaping a labyrinth, and even locating the lost city of Atlantis," Ultimate Dragon said.

Red's groaned and dropped his head. He wasn't exactly sure if he could deal with any of those tasks, even though his skills were known to be superb. Not to mention, Red had the feeling that he would be on a time crunch since his mate was dieing while they were talking.

Red stilled as that though processed through his head. He looked over to Blue, who was starting to look paler than usual.

"How long do I have to find the Dragon's Heart?" Red asked in a hurry.

Ultimate Dragon looked to Dark Sage, who walked over to Blue and inspected the younger dragon again. The two other dragons held their breath while the Sage worked. This time, the older magician looked a little bit calmer now. He sighed and looked up at the two dragons.

"I would say that your mate will last for a few more hours. I can probably keep him awake with my magic for another hour add to that time. So, about four hours at the most. But you must hurry," Dark Sage said.

Red nodded his head and made his way to the cabin door before he stopped and turned. "Where exactly is the Domain anyway?" the black dragon asked.

Ultimate Dragon shook his head and chuckled before he looked up. "My sons should be able to guide you to the Domain entrance."

Red looked at Ultimate Dragon with an unimpressed look. "I'm not sure, but your other sons aren't exactly crazy about me right now."

Ultimate Dragon just waved his hand. "Just tell my sons that it is a direct order from me that they guide you. And if they disobey that command, I will show them exactly why the other dragons fear our clan."

Red narrowed his eyes but nodded his head. He ran out of the cabin and immediately took flight. He spread his wings wide and flew in the direction of the Blue Eyes territory.

**A/N: I'm not 100% sure if the Three Dragons were known to support a certain personality trait or not. Timaeus was easier to find than the other two though (that, and it makes sense that he would be the dragon of honor based on how the anime portrayed him). Hermos and Critias, on the other hand, were much harder to figure out. So, I just guessed on what kind of trait or event they would represent. So, if I'm wrong about meanings, I apologize in advance. **

**And I decided that it was time that I bring back Aoi and Azul since they were main characters earlier in the story. So, they will be in the next chapter for sure.**


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: This moment between Aoi, Azul, and Red will seem like it goes by kind of slow (since Red is in a hurry to get to the Domain of the Dragons). But, I felt that this moment needed to be addressed since there is some…obvious tension between all four dragons (this is including Blue). So, this is basically a conversation that needed to happen. **

Aoi stared in the distance and sighed sadly. Just about a day had passed since both Azul and himself had last seen Blue and it was very worrying. He let his hand fall from where it was resting against the wall and looked back at where Azul was resting. He frowned in distaste and looked away. He was still angry at his younger brother for hurting Blue. Although, he had no right to talk, given how he treated his younger brother too.

Aoi pierced his lips together and looked out towards the valley. He had a bad feeling settling in his heart. Something bad was settling over the mountains.

"Aoi, will you STOP worrying? I'm sure our hateful brother is just fine," Azul said from across the den.

Aoi looked back at Azul and sighed. "How are you doing?"

"Oh, I'm fine. I mean, my older brother _did_ throw me against a wall with no remorse once so ever," Azul growled out.

Aoi just glared at Azul and said, "That was your own fault because you don't know how to shut your damn mouth."

Azul huffed and turned his head. "You know that you were thinking the exact same thing. It was something Blue needed to hear."

"Even if that was true, that doesn't make it right to isolate our brother!" Aoi shouted at Azul.

Azul laughed bitterly and remarked, "Oh _please_. Stop acting like you're so righteous and innocent in this matter! You did the exact same thing-"

"_DON'T YOU THINK I KNOW THAT?_ Aoi shouted loudly.

The entire den was silent save for Aoi's loud panting. Azul's eyes were wide in surprise. Aoi had his head lowered and his was hiccupping slightly. One drop of liquid fell from his face and Azul gasped silently. He had never seen his brother cry, even when they had heard of their father's possible death.

"I know…what I've done to Blue was wrong…and you have no idea what kind of pain I feel whenever I think about how Blue will look at me from now on," Aoi whispered. "I'm his big brother and I'm supposed to be there for him. But all I've done is tell him what he's done wrong and blame everything on him."

Azul stared before he sighed. _"So troublesome,"_ he thought to himself.

The sound of wings alerted the two brothers. Aoi looked up in time to see Red flying inside of their den. His eyes narrowed slightly and he looked back at Azul. The youngest dragon was openly glaring at Red. His hate for the black dragon was obvious and all of the dragons were aware of it.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?" Azul growled out menacingly.

Red braced himself and said, "I need your help. I have to go to the Domain of the Dragons."

Aoi's eyes grew wide. "Why would you need to go there? That place is off-limits to Duel Monsters."

Red nodded his head. "I'm aware. But I really need to go there. It's important," Red said.

"Well, if you can't tell us what the hell is so _important_ about you going there, then there's no reason why we should take you there," Azul said simply.

"Will you stop being such an ass and just take me there?" Red asked harshly.

"WHY THE _FUCK_ SHOULD I HELP THE GUY WHO TORE UP OUR FAMILY?"

Aoi and Red both stared at Azul in astonishment. Aoi stepped forward and said," Azul, Red didn't-"

"_YES HE DID! HE TOOK BLUE FROM US AND IT'S HIS FAULT THAT MY BROTHER IS INJURED!" _Azul shouted hysterically.

Red snapped his head over to Aoi in surprise. Aoi looked back at the black dragon in astonishment.

"How…did he…know that?" Red asked quietly.

"He's an empathic. At least, when it comes to Blue. For some reason, Azul is able to sense Blue's condition and feelings periodically. I'm not completely sure of the details myself," Aoi confessed.

Aoi and Blue's attention moved back to Azul, who had collapsed to the floor in a heap. He was sobbing openly, his body shaking. Red felt guilt grip his heart and he took a step forward. However, he stopped dead when a lightning blast blocked his path. He looked up at Azul, who was glaring at him with tears in his eyes.

"I don't need your pity," Azul growled out.

Red sighed and looked over to Aoi for help. Aoi just bowed his head and walked towards his younger brother. He kneeled down and nuzzled his snout in Azul's neck in comfort. Azul choked on a sob before he leaned on Aoi.

"Come on Azul. Don't blame Red for things that have been simmering in this family for decades. It's not his fault that our family is starting to come apart," Aoi whispered to his brother.

"Yes it is. He stole Blue away from me," Azul whimpered.

Red looked over at Azul in surprise. Aoi looked up at the black dragon and sighed. He signaled Red to sit down next to him and the black dragon did so. Red watched Azul and Aoi with close eyes as the two brothers talked to themselves quietly. After a while, the two white dragons separated and they both looked at Red.

"I think that it's best if you tell us the situation. Then we will judge whether or not we'll help you," Aoi reasoned calmly.

Red's eyes briefly traveled over to Azul, who was avoiding his gaze. The black dragon narrowed his eyes as he took in Azul's state. The white dragon's eyes were starting to redden slightly due to his crying. His cheeks were also flushed a deep red and he was breathing heavily.

"Well…you are aware of the traffic jam that has occurred as of late in the valley, correct?" Red asked the two brothers.

Aoi nodded his head and said, "Yes. I believe Thousand Dragon told me that an abundance of magic and trap cards were the cause."

Red nodded his head. "Yeah. Well, that was part of the problem."

"What do you mean?" Aoi asked curiously.

"He means that someone tried to sabotage the dragons by planting a card that would potentially lead to the destruction of the mountains," Azul said softly.

Aoi's eyes grew wide in shock. "Why didn't I hear about this before?"

"Because it just started happening this week. And it had been isolated to the southern parts of the mountains," Azul commented.

Red nodded his head and continued with his explanation. "Exactly. Now, one of my friends as well as myself were brainwashed by a trap card known as Metalmorph," he said gravely.

Aoi tilted his head slightly in confusion. "Metalmorph? Why would that card effect you in such a disastrous way? All it does is just increase your power."

"Metalmorph possess a secret ability that effects only Red Eyes Black Dragons and Zoas. It changes the very fabric of their being and changes them into completely different monsters. It is said that they lose their minds and begin to crave bloodshed," Azul remarked.

"So…that's why you attacked Blue?" Aoi asked carefully.

Red began to nod his head before he froze. "Wait….how did you know that?" he asked.

Aoi smiled grimly and pointed to Azul. "Did you forget already? Azul is connected to Blue's emotions. So, he knew what was going on and told me."

Red nodded his head absently before bowing his head. Although he hated to admit it, he was slightly jealous of Azul. He wished that he had that kind of connection with his mate, especially if it would alert him if anything were wrong. His heart clenched as thoughts of Blue came back to mind.

Straightening himself up, he looked Aoi straight in the eye. "Are you both going to help me or not?"

Aoi looked over to Azul and nodded his head. "I believe that we should help. But what do you think Azul?"

Azul looked up at Red with expressionless eyes. The young white dragon closed his eyes and nodded his head in agreement. "Fine, I'll help you too. But I want you to promise something to me."

"Anything," Red promised.

"I want you to protect my brother and the location of the Domain. If either is jeopardized, I will come fond you and kill you with my own two hands," Azul growled out.

Red nodded his head and started to make his way out of the den. He stopped and looked back at the two brothers briefly.

"Thank you two for helping me. It means a lot," Red said.

"We're not doing this for you. This is solely for Blue," Azul grunted out.

Red chuckled but nodded his head. He knew what the youngest dragon was trying to say, even if he would say differently.

**A/N: While Azul is aware of Blue's condition, he is not aware of the fact that Blue is going to die if Red doesn't get to the Domain of the Dragons (nor is Aoi). And by no means are Red and Azul friends now. Azul still has some dislike for Red. **


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I've really been putting this chapter off. I'm making it my goal though to have Dragon's Heart done by the end of February (hopefully before then). But that all depends on how distracted I get. So, let's cross our fingers.**

"How long is it until we get there?" Red asked.

"Just a few more minutes," Aoi answered.

Red sighed and continued to fly behind the two white dragons. They had been flying for well over an hour now and the black dragon was starting to think that they wouldn't reach the Domain of the Dragons in time. He looked over to Azul, who had yet to say a word to him after they had left the den. The white dragon was ignoring him on purpose, not that the black dragon had a problem with that.

His thoughts briefly went back to his mate. He could feel his eyes start to water at the prospect of his mate possibly dying. He couldn't live without his mate. Blue meant everything to him and without him, the light in his world would disappear. Red shook his head quickly. He wouldn't let that happen if it's the last thing he'll ever do. He'll even sacrifice himself just to make sure that his mate would live, if the situation called for it.

His eyes caught sight of something in the distance. He looked over to Aoi, who sighed in relief. "Alright guys, we're coming up to the Domain. Now Red, stay behind us. The Domain Guardians know who we are and if they see a stranger, they will attack you," Aoi said in a serious tone.

Azul and Red nodded their heads in understanding. Red slowed down his pace, trailing behind the two white dragons. He watched as the structure grew closer. He took in a deep breath and started to mentally prepare himself for what's coming up ahead. He had to admit though, he wasn't ready at all. He had heard horror stories of the monsters that had traveled to this part of the Duel Monster Realm- all of them ranging from mild violence to extreme mutilation of monsters. The black dragon shivered in fear.

Once they were at the entrance of the Domain, Red let out a shuddering breath. It was large, bigger than the mountain range where he lived at. He stretched his head up to see the top of the structure, but it was so tall that it seemed to go on forever.

Looking straight forward, his observed the format of the building. It looked almost like a temple. However, instead of being in perfect shape, like had imagined it to be, it was crumbling in some places. Several pillars were lying on the ground in a large heap of crumbled stone while other pillars were barely holding their own weight. All in all, the temple looked as if it were in ruins. Add the fact that it smelled like something died, and it was completely unappealing. Not at all like his image of how the Domain of the Dragons would be like.

"Who dares trespass on our Domain?" A loud voice rings throughout the air.

Red, Azul, and Aoi all flinch before looking at each other. Red and Azul made eye contact with each other before both of their eyes narrowed. A gleam entered Azul's eyes and Red tilted his head to the side. His eyes widened before he nodded his head in understanding. Both Red and Azul looked towards Aoi before pushing him forward.

Aoi looked at both dragons in shock before snapping his head forward. Swallowing deeply, Aoi stepped forward and said, "My brother and our friend wish to obtain entrance into the Domain of the Dragons, your honor."

Aoi bowed and signals the two other dragons to do so. Azul and Red quickly follow his lead and dipped down low in respect. A deep rumbling could be heard and felt before the sound of wings flowed through the air. Peeking up from his stance, Red saw three dragons flying towards them. His heart rate picked up slightly and he quickly lowered his gaze.

"You dragons may rise. State your business in our Domain."

Aoi, Azul, and Red all stood up and looked up at the three dragons. Red gasped softly. He had never seen dragons like them before. The dragon in the middle was a beautiful shade of turquoise, but that was offset by his harsh facial features. He looked strict, yet wise at the same time. His eyes were a deep shade of grey. They seemed to be searching deep inside of his soul.

His eyes then moved to the right, where a crimson dragon was standing tall. Horns and scales were poking out from the red dragon's back, making him look fierce. His eyes were even more scary than the first dragon. They were narrowed drastically, taking the shape of small slits. Shivering in slight fear, his eyes moved over to the far left to see the last dragon.

The last dragon was a slick black. He didn't look as dangerous as the other two dragons. In fact, he looked calmer. His eyes were soothing, yet striking at the same time. His calm demeanor was putting Red off slightly. He wasn't sure why, but this dragon scared him even more than the other two. Looking over at Aoi, he noticed that the white dragon seemed to be cool and collected.

"I will not ask one more time. What is your purpose here?" The turquoise dragon growled out menacingly.

Aoi looked back at Red and signaled him to walk up. Tensing up slightly, Red started walking up slowly. He took in several deep breaths, although it did no good in calming him down. He picked his head and near buckled under the pressure. All three dragons were staring at him with sharp eyes.

"I am here because my mate is dying. I've heard of something that could possibly save his life that resides here at the Domain known as the Dragon's Heart," Red said timidly.

The three dragons observed the black dragon before they turned to each other. They let out soft growls and grunts, talking to each other in their native tongue. Red recognized some of the words, since he had dabbled in the ancient language of his ancestors. But he could only pick up bits and pieces, since the dragons were talking too fast for him to translate. All he could pick up was 'trust' and 'suspicious'.

The turquoise dragon narrowed his eyes before he looked over to the white dragons. "Blue Eyes White Dragons, stand outside while we talk with your friend."

Azul opened his mouth to protest, but Aoi stopped him. He placed a stern claw on his brother's shoulder and gave him a look. Azul face was becoming purple in rage, more than likely due to the fact that he had just been commanded to leave and the fact that he had just found out about his brother's possible death. He sent death glares at Red before flying out of the Domain in an angry huff. Aoi looked back at Red in disappointment before walking out behind his brother.

Red watched as Aoi and Azul left and he felt his heart skip a beat. Without the two dragons, he suddenly felt more vulnerable and weak. He slowly turned his head back to the three Legendary Dragons and gulped. His eyes flickered back and forth between the dragons, not completely sure which one to focus on.

"Follow us, Red Eyes Black Dragon. We must first test you to make sure that you are worthy of receiving the Dragon's Heart," the turquoise dragon said.

The three dragons turned around and spread their wings. They took flight, causing a large gust of wind to hit Red right in the face. He fell back due to the force, closing his eyes in response. The gust blew by him and rocked the walls of the Domain before it calmed down. Dust floated down from the ceiling and Red looked up in apprehension. He wasn't sure if the foundation of the old temple could be trusted, especially after the strong gust given off by the dragons.

Red opened his eyes slowly before he stood up. Looking around to where the dragons could have gone to, he saw the figures of the Legendary Dragons flying up ahead. Red clenched his claws together. He had to prove that he was capable of keeping up with the Legendary Dragons. Uncurling his wings, Red flew up into the sky, trying to catch up with the other dragons.

They all flew through twists and turns throughout the temple. Through the course of the flight, Red was starting to becoming lost. He wasn't completely sure if he would be able to find his way out, but he would worry about that later. For now, he just followed the figures of the larger dragons in front of him.

His eyes widened when he was suddenly transported into what seemed like another world. Instead of the temple, they were now in a circular room. It looked as if it were just built yesterday. The walls were a stunning white color and there weren't any cracks anywhere. And despite the fact that there weren't any lights inside or any windows, the room was perfectly lite.

Red slowly walked towards the center of the room and looked up at the three dragons timidly. He wasn't sure what he was supposed to do next, so he just stood where he was. And luckily, that's all he had to do.

"Red Eyes Black Dragon, you are here to be judged on your character. You have requested the Dragon's Heart, is that correct?" the turquoise dragon asked loudly.

Red nodded his head before opening his mouth. "Yes, I have," he croaked out.

The turquoise dragon nodded his head before signaling the other dragons to go to opposite sides of the room. The crimson and ebony dragons moved to another part of the room where they were standing by themselves. Looking around, Red noticed that he was surrounded on all sides by the Legendary Dragons. His shivered in slight fear before pushing it down.

_"Now's not the time to be showing fear, Red,"_ the black dragon thought to himself.

Once he effectively calmed down his body, Red looked straight into the turquoise dragon's eyes. The other dragon smirked before raising his head up.

"I am Timaeus, the dragon of honor. I shall judge you on your wisdom, honor, and your trustworthiness," the turquoise dragon roared.

"I am Hermos, the dragon of courage. I shall judge you on your bravery, love for others, and your honesty," the crimson dragon roared.

"I am Critias, the dragon of war. I shall judge you on your fighting prowess, your skills, and your strategic ability," the ebony dragon roared.

The three dragons' roars molded together until it was a single, harmonized roar. It nearly caused Red to fall off of his feet. Luckily, his sense of balance decided to stick with him a little bit longer. The roar caused the room to start trembling. Red looked up in shock as the three dragons started to glow brightly. He shielded his eyes to block out some of the brightness.

The roars grew progressively louder until suddenly, they stopped. Red felt his body tense, expecting something to happen. However, the silence remained. When nothing happened for the next few seconds, Red slowly opened his eyes. He looked around the room in confusion before looking up at the Legendary Dragons. All three of them had a grave expression on their faces, causing Red to look around in worry.

His eyes caught Critias' movement as the ebony dragon stepped forward. "Red Eyes Black Dragon, you have passed my test. Your skills are above any of your race and you are a force to be reckoned with."

Red let out a small breath in relief before looking over to the other two dragons. Hermos stepped forward next. "Black Dragon, you have passed my test as well. You are a courageous dragon that cares deeply for your friends and your mate. I would be honored to give you the Dragon's Heart."

Red felt the pressure in his chest leaving him steadily. _"Maybe this will be easier than I_ _thought," _Red thought to himself.

He watched in contained excitement as Timaeus stepped forward. His gaze was sharp, causing Red to frown slightly. "Red Eyes, you are indeed honorable and wise. However, it is due to your carelessness that your mate is in the predicament that he is in now. And as the protector of the Dragon's Heart, I cannot allow you access to the heart under any circumstances," Timaeus said gravely.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: After this chapter, there will be one or two chapters left. So, I hope you enjoy. And just a warning, the legendary dragons may be OOC (especially Timaeus). **

Red felt his entire world crash around him. His eyes were impossibly wide in shock as he stared up at Timaeus. The turquoise dragon just stared back at him. The legendary dragon didn't appear to be affected by the situation at all. In fact, the turquoise dragon seemed satisfied with the situation.

Taking in a shuddering breath, Red turned his attention towards the other two dragons. His eyes were unconsciously drawn towards the ebony dragon. Looking over to Hermos, Red could barely contain a gasp. The ebony dragon looked as though he was heartbroken. There were large tears cascading down the legendary dragon's face and falling to the ground. The tears come crashing down to the floor below, causing Red to fly away before any of the drops hit him.

The tears collided with the floor and waves of water traveled towards their perspective walls in a rush. Red spread his wings and took to the sky just in time to avoid the large wave. He looked down at the floor below, which was now completely covered with water.

Lifting his head back up, Red saw that the legendary dragons were no longer paying him any attention. Instead, they seemed to be arguing. Timaeus was growling in anger while Hermos was glaring at the elder dragon outright. The temperature in the room mounted tremendously as the two dragons stepped into each other's personal space.

"Why can we not just give him the Dragon's Heart? He has proven that he is an honorable and skillful dragon!" Hermos shouted to the Timaeus in outrage.

Timaeus bristled in anger and straightened his posture so that he was hovering over the ebony dragon. His black eyes glared right at the smaller dragon, causing Hermos to shrink back in mild fear. Critias moved forward a few feet to try and help Hermos, but Timaeus blocked his path. Timaeus turned his head around, his black eyes gleaming in the light.

"You will not interfere, Critias. This conversation is between Hermos and myself," Timaeus growled out.

Critias flinched slightly at the turquoise dragon's tone, but he held his ground. He wasn't about to let the elder dragon take control of the situation. "I stand for what is right. And denying this dragon of the Dragon's Heart is anything but that!"

Timaeus glanced over to Red, who was watching the argument cautiously. Narrowing his eyes, the turquoise dragon flew over to the smaller dragon. Red instinctively flew backwards until his back collided with the marble wall. He looked up in fear and swallowed deeply. He knew deep down that he would not be able to hold of the turquoise dragon if he chose to attack him. His heart picked up slightly at the prospect but he held his gaze with the legendary dragon.

Out of the corner of his eye, Red saw a red claw shoot out towards Timaeus' wing. He looked around Timaeus' large figure and connected the crimson claw to Critias' body. The crimson dragon's claw scraped across Timaeus' wing, ripping some of the scales off with it. Red winced when he heard a loud roar fill the room, reverberating off of the walls.

Timaeus snapped his head around and slashed his tail through the air towards the crimson dragon. Critias barely dodged the attack, stumbling back towards Hermos. Timaeus turned around to face the other two dragons and glared openly at them. Red held his breath as the tension in the room mounted once again.

"You are being immature Timaeus," Hermos remarked in annoyance.

The turquoise dragon scoffed and rolled his eyes. "If there is someone who is acting immature, it is Critias and yourself."

Critias stepped forward and bared his teeth in response, only to be held back by Hermos. "No Critias. We must not lower our selves to _Timaeus' _level."

"Well, it is my job to protect the Dragon's Heart at all costs. So, I shall not apologize for keeping the Heart out of the hands of a raving murderer!" Timaeus shouted in righteousness.

Red felt his heart clench in pain and he lowered his head in response. Thoughts of his mate came back to his mind and the black dragon winced. No matter what he did to try and push the guilt away, he still felt the burden of Blue's possible death on his shoulders. He could feel two pairs of eyes on him, but he refused to lift his head.

"Do you not see that he is remorseful about what he has done?" Hermos asked incredulously.

"That matters not. For all we know, he could be fooling us right now!" the turquoise dragon said offhandedly.

Red puffed his chest out in anger and spread his wings. Red pushed himself off of the wall and flew towards the legendary dragons. He flew up until he was eye-level with Timaeus and stared right into the dragon's eyes.

"It is one thing to blame me for my mate's injuries. But it's another thing when you accuse me of lying when I'm _trying _to help my mate!" Red growled out, nearly spitting out the last few words.

Timaeus' eyes widened in surprise before they narrowed in suspicion. "It is no matter. I will still not allow you to have the Dragon's Heart."

Hermos and Critias growled in anger and both dragons moved closer to the turquoise dragon. Red pierced his lips. It seemed as though the legendary dragon wasn't going to let go of his side of the argument. Looking over to the ebony and crimson dragon, he saw that both dragons were prepared to fight to the death over this issue. Red glanced over to Timaeus, who was still watching him with narrowed eyes.

Red pondered the situation. He could join in with the two legendary dragons to try and convince Timaeus that he in trustworthy. But that would prove nothing. Instead, it would only make the situation worse. But he had to do something to help his mate. It was his fault that Blue was dying and he needed to find a way to heal him. And if Timaeus wasn't willing to let him use the Dragon's Heart, then he'd have to go elsewhere for a cure.

Sighing in exhaustion, Red eased himself towards the ground. He heard a soft gasp from Timaeus but he ignored it. If the turquoise dragon wasn't willing to compromise, then there was not use in trying to reason with him. His feet came into contact with the water below that he had forgotten about. Looking down, Red noticed that the water from Hermos' tears was still around.

Once he landed completely, Red looked back up. All three dragons were watching him in mild surprise. Sighing again, Red closed his eyes. For a split second, he could see Blue basically dying in Dark Sage's bed. He could see Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon crying over his son's body. He could see Blue's brothers blaming him for their brother's death.

Choking back a sob, Red wiped his eyes quickly to stop the tears that threatened to leave his eyes. However, one tear left his eyes before he could stop it. It trailed down his face until it dripped down to the wet floor below. The tear dropped into the pool of tears and sent ripples throughout the entire area of water.

A slight rumbling fills the air and all four dragons look around the room in shock. The ripples in the water grew larger until actual waves were being formed. Red took to the air again to avoid being splashed. He looked down at the water in shock and his eyes widened as the pool started to glow brightly. A pulse of energy filled the room and light burst into the circular building. The water movement below grew rougher and rougher before an orb of energy slowly raised from the pool.

The orb was bright blue and it pulsed every few seconds. It slowly rose into the air, gradually gaining altitude. All four dragons watched the energy with rapt awe. All of a sudden, the orb stopped right in front of Red, who was holding his breath. His eyes were wide and he let out a shuddering breath.

Slowly, Red reached out and gently touched the ball of energy. Almost at once, the energy burst into a flash of light before it completely surround Red. The black dragon exclaimed in shock and immediately started to slash at the light. However, his attacks seemed to do nothing at all. In fact, the light seemed to get brighter.

As the seconds ticked by, the light seemed to get dimmer and dimmer. Blinking a few times, Red looked around in confusion. The light had disappeared completely and it seemed to have left an effect on his body. He felt lighter than usual, as if all the stress that he had been carrying had mysteriously left his body. Any previous soreness that he didn't even notice that he had was gone now and he felt rejuvenated. He also felt a constant buzzing under his skin that made him want to burn some energy.

"I told you the dragon was trustworthy Timaeus! He even absorbed the holy energy of the temple!" Hermos exclaimed in excitement.

Timaeus pierced his lips together before moving his gaze towards me. My heart skipped a beat. Although I had no idea what the dragons were talking about, it sounded good. Looking up with hopefully eyes, Timaeus sighed.

"I guess if the temple spirits accept him, then he is indeed trustworthy," Timaeus agreed.

I felt all the worry in my heart leave my body and I slump in relief. Looking over to Hermos and Critias, I saw that the two dragons were happy about the arrangement as well. Timaeus signaled me to walk over towards him and I hesitantly followed his instruction. He narrowed his eyes onto me and I tense slightly.

"In my eyes, I still do not trust you. You betrayed your mate and nearly killed him. However, if the temple can accept that you are being sincere, then that is enough for me." the turquoise dragon remarked.

I nodded my head in understanding. Timaeus nodded his head back before he looked up towards the ceiling. Joining his gaze, I saw something gleaming on the ceiling. Looking closely, I saw that there was a chest hanging from above.

"With the permission of the gods and the allegiance of the legendary dragons, I request the Dragon's Heart!" Timaeus commanded, his voice nearly shaking the very foundation of the building.

Red watched as the locks holding the chest snapped and he started to move out of the way as the chest came barreling down towards the ground. However, Timaeus held out his hand just in time to catch the chest before it could reach the ground. Red watched in awe as the turquoise dragon lowered the chest down to the ground.

Red stared at the chest for a few seconds before looking up at Timaeus in hesitation. The turquoise dragon must have understood his silent question because he said, "You may open it."

Red let out a shuddering breath before stepping towards the chest. His claws gripped the edges of it and he looked up one last time at the three dragons. All three legendary dragons nodded their heads and Red let out a deep breath before opening the chest.

A bright light shot out from the chest and went up to the ceiling. The light grew brighter before Red noticed something slowly rising out from the chest. It was in the shape of a heart and it was made completely of a special crystal. The crystal moved up higher to the sky until it moved into Timaeus' hand.

"We entrust the power of the Dragon's Heart into your hands. Do you promise not to abuse this power and to use it for what you have requested?" Timaeus asked.

Red nodded his head quickly and Timaeus clenched his claw around the Heart. His claw glowed bright blue for a few seconds before he opened his paw. Looking down at Red, he released his grip on the Dragon's Heart. Red held out his paws in time to catch the Heart. He looked at the large crystal in his hands and smiled. Now he could save his mate before time ran out.

Red snapped his head up. He wasn't even sure how long he had until his mate would perish. For all he knew, Blue could be dead. His heart skipped a beat and he looked around frantically for an exit. The legendary dragons must have understood his predicament, because Hermos lower himself to the ground to comfort him. Critias and Timaeus just stood back and let the ebony dragon handle the situation.

"Don't worry, Black Dragon. We can teleport you back to your home if you so desire," Hermos proposed.

Red let out a sigh in relief before he nodded his head. "Oh, thank you. But instead of my den, can you take me to Dark Sage's residence? That's where my mate is," I requested cautiously.

Hermos nodded his head before directing his hand forward. Out of nowhere, a portal appeared. In the center of the portal, Dark Sage's home was visible. The black dragon smiled and ran towards the portal before he stopped. He looked back towards the dragons and bit his lip before smiling gently.

"Thank you for your help. I'm forever in your debt," Red said thankfully.

Timaeus, Critias, and Hermos all nodded their heads and waved Red off. The black dragon smiled again before turning back towards the portal. Spreading his wings one last time, Red took off through the portal.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Alright guys, this is the last chapter. After several months of stretching out a story that really should have taken me at least three to four months, Dragon's Heart is finally done. I hope that all of you who have followed the story enjoyed Dragon's Heart. **

Dark Sage huffed before he slumped into the chair. His hand was gripping onto his staff tightly and looked over to where Blue was resting peacefully. Well, as peacefully as someone can rest while they're dying. Turning his head so that he could look out of the window, the Sage gritted his teeth in worry.

It had been nearly four hours since Red had left to go and find the Dragon's Heart. And it didn't look as if the black dragon was coming back anytime soon. His staff started to tremble in his hands and it took all of his strength to stop it from falling out of his hands.

He was using all of his powers to keep the white dragon alive. In fact, if he hadn't placed his magic inside of the white dragon's body to keep him alive, Blue would have been dead hours ago.

Huffing again, Dark Sage stood up. "Why is he taking so long? You would think that he would be a little faster since his mate is here dying!" Dark Sage growled out in disgust.

Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon groaned from his spot in the corner of the room and lifted his head up. He was openly glaring at the Sage, a vein pulsing visibly on his forehead.

"If you do not remain quiet Dark Sage, I will electrocute you!" Ultimate Dragon threatened.

Dark Sage groaned, rolling his eyes at the older dragon. "I just don't see why Red Eyes is not here yet. He only has about half an hour left before his mate dies!"

Seeing that he would no longer be able to lay down in comfort anymore, Ultimate Dragon stood up slowly. He hissed under his breath as some of the soreness from the fight earlier came back with a vengeance. Ignoring that for now, the white dragon inched his way over to where his son was still resting. His eyes narrowed slightly as he took in his son's condition.

All of Blue's wounds were healed save for the large hole in his son's chest. Blue was a deathly pale white and his breathing was harsh and short. A tremble went through the white dragon body before he turned a shade whiter. Ultimate Dragon bite his lip in worry before looking over to Dark Sage.

The older magician was leaning against the wall and he was breathing harshly all of a sudden. Ultimate Dragon's eyes grew wide before he practically flew across the room. His claws rested on the Sage's shoulder in comfort and the older man leaned towards his touch unconsciously.

"Are you alright?" Ultimate Dragon asked.

Dark Sage nodded his head while taking in deep breaths. "Yes, I should be fine. But I can feel my magic starting to lose its effect on Blue."

Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon sighed in defeat before looking over at his son. He examined the condition of Blue and frowned. His son looked as though he was getting worse as the seconds ticked by. The same could be said about Dark Sage. The wizened magician looked as though he was about to collapse to the floor.

"How long do you think you can hold out?" Ultimate Dragon asked curiously.

The Sage coughed roughly and the white dragon moved right under the older magician to make sure that the old man didn't fall to the floor. Dark Sage placed a hand on the dragon's back, giving himself support. He brought a hand to his chest, taking in deep breaths.

"I should be able to supply your son for a few more minutes. But that's all I can do," Dark Sage said in a melancholy tone.

The elder dragon sighed in regret before looking back over to his son. His eyes started to water and the white dragon shut his eyes to keep any stray tears from escaping. He sniffed softly and a shuddering breath left his mouth.

"I'm so sorry Blue...If it wasn't for me, you would still be alive right now," Ultimate Dragon whispered to his son.

Dark Sage sighed in sadness. It tore him up inside to see his good friend cry next to him. And if there was anything left that he could do, he would do it in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, their only hope had been Red and the Dragon's Heart. But time was just about up and the black dragon was nowhere to be seen.

"I think we should get ready to bury your s-"

"WAIT! I'M HERE!"

Dark Sage and Ultimate Dragon snapped their heads up towards the doorway. Red was leaning against the door, his face flushed a deep red. In his paws, he was cradling the Dragon's Heart. Both the Sage's and the white dragon's eyes grew wide in shock. They weren't expecting Red to have any luck in finding the Dragon's Heart, and they certainly weren't expecting him to bring it back in time.

Pushing his shock aside, Dark Sage quickly moved towards Red. The black dragon silently handed the Heart over to the older magician, watching as the Sage moved towards his mate. Curious about how the Dragon's Heart would heal his mate, Red started to make his way over to where his mate was resting.

He came up beside his mate and couldn't move his eyes away from his mate's dying body. His scales were a pale blueish-white and they looked brittle. His breath was coming out in short pants and sweat covered his entire brow. All of a sudden, a harsh bought of coughs left his mate's body, causing the black dragon to jump away in fear.

"We do not have much time left. Red, I need to you send some of your power into the Heart so that I can activate it," the Sage said.

Red nodded in understanding and placed his paw on top of the crystal. Almost immediately, the black dragon could feel a buzzing coming from inside of the Dragon's Heart. It started to glow a bright red before levitating in the air. It slowly moved towards Blue's prone body and continued to move until it was hovering right over the white dragon's heart.

Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon slowly walked over to where Dark Sage and Red were standing. All three males watched in awe as the Dragon's Heart slowly merged with Blue's body. His white body shined brightly, glittering in the light. Red gasped and took a step forward. His claws lightly scratched at his mates hand before he wound their hands together. He smiled as when he felt the warmth of his mate. His eyes moved up to Blue's face, which was looking brighter than it had a few minutes ago.

Once the Dragon's Heart had merged completely with Blue's body, the white dragon's body stopped glowing. In its place though, his scales looked much healthier than Red had ever seen. Any blemishes and wounds that had once riddled Blue's body were gone.

Tightening his grip on his mate's hand, Red leaned down and grazed his face against his mate's. A purr from deep in his throat bubbled out of his mouth and grew progressively louder by the second. Out of the corner of his eye, Red saw Dark Sage and Ultimate Dragon leaving the room quietly.

A sharp intake of breath broke Red out of his peaceful moment. He looked up at his mate, who was starting to stir. The white dragon's eyes started to flutter gently before opening slowly. Red's gut twisted as his eyes locked with lighting blue eyes.

Blue tilted his head in confusion before snapping his eyes wide open. He stumbled off of the table, hissing as he collapsed to the ground. Red watched with wide eyes as his mate runs away from him.

"Blue? What's wrong?" Red asked in worry.

Blue hissed in fear and anger. "Don't fucking play with me, you monster! You know what you did to me and my mate!" he shouted.

Red's eyes widened in understanding. Blue still thought that he was being controlled by Metalmorph. Taking in a deep breath, Red raised his hands in defense. He slowly walked towards Blue, stopping ever so often when Blue hissed at him again. Once he was in range to his mate, Red dived.

Blue screamed as he was tackled by Red. Both dragons fell to the floor in a heap. Blue struggled under Red, causing the black dragon to growl menacingly. Blue froze before looking up at Red in shock. The black dragon looked down at his mate, frowning at him. Piercing his lips, Red lowered his head slowly.

Blue's eyes grew wide as he felt Red kissing him gently. His thoughts started to run rampart, thinking about the possibilities in his mind. The monster controlling Red- or who had controlled Red- would never kiss him. Eyes narrowing slightly, Blue slowly relaxed into the kiss until he finally closed his eyes. A soft fluttering went through his body and settled in his stomach, causing him to mewl in happiness.

The two remained in their kiss for the next few minutes until a cough broke the two apart. Red looked up in annoyance and glared openly at Ultimate Dragon and Dark Sage. Blue followed his mate's gaze and gasped in happiness.

"Father! You're alright!" Blue rejoiced.

Blue slipped from under Red's body and hugged his father tightly. Ultimate Dragon looked down at his son in shock before hugging him back awkwardly. Dark Sage stepped around the two white dragons and made his way over to where Red was. He helped the black dragon up off the floor and gave him an encouraging smile.

"You did a nice job bringing the Dragon's Heart here. Albeit, you were almost too late, almost killed your mate in the process, and-"

"I get it Sage. Just get on with it," Red said in annoyance.

"Anyway, you saved your mate and that's all that matters right now," Dark Sage said happily.

Red nodded his head, unable to keep a smile from coming across his face. He was happy that his mate was back with him and no longer suffering the threat of dying anytime soon. Looking back to where Blue and his father were, Red smiled unconsciously. He was happy to have his mate back, that much he would admit out loud.

**A/N: And that's it. I couldn't come up with a better ending than this. But I feel that this was the moment to end Dragon's Heart because any more would have just stretched it to a point that it didn't need to go. Thank you to everyone who has read and/or reviewed Dragon's Heart. **


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